This dessert is simply exquisite; no need for a special occasion to try this recipe out. The combination of intense dark chocolate, salted nuts, tangy raspberry sorbet and the delicate vanilla scented custard is a match made in heaven.

Brownie, raspberry sorbet and crème anglaise

Ingredients:

For the Brownie:

65g milk chocolate
135g dark chocolate
150g diced butter
100g sugar
50g flour
3 eggs
½ Tsp. of baking powder
15g of toasted pecan nuts
15g pistachio nuts
A pinch of salt

For the Crème anglaise:

1 Scraped vanilla pod
3 egg yolks
250ml whole milk
50g caster sugar

For the Raspberry sorbet:

300g frozen raspberries
80ml water
30g caster sugar
10ml gin

Method:

To prepare the brownie: (Best served warm) Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C
Place the chocolate and butter in a large mixing bowl over a bain-marie. Stir from time to time until all is completely melted.
In a separate mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, flour and baking powder. Once the melted chocolate has achieved room temperature pour over the egg mix and whisk continuously. Finally add in the roughly chopped nuts. Pour in a rectangular baking tin (25 x 18 cm) previously lined with greaseproof paper. Bake for 20 minutes; remove from the oven and leave to cool down.
To prepare the Crème anglaise: Combine the milk and a pinch of the sugar in a saucepan. Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla pod and bring to a simmer.
In the meantime; whisk egg yolks and sugar in medium bowl. Then gradually whisk the hot milk into yolk mixture and return the custard to the saucepan. Stir over a low heat until the custard thickens, about 5 minutes (do not boil). Rapidly, strain the crème anglaise into a bowl; cover and chill.
To prepare the raspberry sorbet: Place the frozen fruit and alcohol directly into your food processor. Heat the water and sugar in a small saucepan. As soon as the sugar has dissolved (no need to boil); pour the liquid over the fruit. Blitz until smooth sorbet texture.

Wines to match with brownie, raspberry sorbet and crème anglaise

This might be an unusual pairing but I honestly think it works. Served on the rocks the Japanese Choya Umeshu plum wine is bursting with sweet fruity flavours. Close to a liqueur but without the strong alcoholic taste this is the perfect dessert wine to accompany this heavenly pudding.

For a more conventional pairing I suggest a Banyuls 1991 from Mr Chapoutier. This sweet red wine produced in the Rhône region delivers the perfect balance between black fruit and subtle cacao aromas.

Although slightly more expensive, a mature vintage port will also do wonders for this intense chocolaty dessert. I recommend Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas Port 2008 from Portugal. With a hint of liquorice and a rich long finish this is the perfect way to embellish the end of a meal.

The wines

Japanese Choya Umeshu plum wine – This sweet, sticky plum wine is a real treat and something a little different to pair with this truly ‘yummy’ dessert. This premium plum wine is wonderful on ice, lovely to drink in the sunshine. Fruity and deep in flavour it is a lovely partner to this plate of chocolate heaven. RRP: £10.00 from Drink Supermarket

Banyuls 1991 from Mr Chapoutier – Again, the wine I have chosen to match the brownie with its fresh raspberry sorbet and silky crème anglais is also incredibly fruity and tantalising on the taste buds. Matching the brownie itself there are cacao aromas that hit the nose combined with black forest fruits. A real treat and great partner to this homely dessert. RRP: £11.95 from M. Chapoutier

Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas Port, 2008 – This is a very big wine with strong chocolatey notes as well as that lovely herbaciousness from the aniseed. There are lovely floral hints of rose petal that give an extra layer to the wine. Incredibly special and worth the extra pennies. RRP: £29.99 from Waitrose.

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Michel Roux Jr was born in 1960 in Pembury, Kent, where his father Albert Roux worked as a private chef for the Cazalet family. His earliest food memories are the smells of the Fairlawne kitchen – pastry, sugar caramelizing and stews – where he played under the table while his father and mother Monique prepared the meals. After deciding to follow in his father’s footsteps, he left school at 16 for the first of several challenging apprenticeships at Maître Patissier, Hellegouarche in Paris from 1976 to 1979. He was then Commis de Cuisine at Alain Chapel’s signature restaurant at Mionay near Lyon, Michel’s biggest influence. His military service was spent in the kitchens at the Elysée Palace at the time of Presidents Giscard d’Estaing and François Mitterrand. He also spent time at Boucherie Lamartine and Charcuterie Mothu in Paris, and the Gavers Restaurant in London. After a stint at the Mandarin Hotel in Hong Kong he returned to London and worked at La Tante Claire before joining the family business. He took over running Le Gavroche in 1991, gradually changing the style of cooking to his own – classic French with a lighter, modern twist. Michel opened Roux at Parliament Square in May 2010 with Restaurant Associates, part of the Compass Group UK and Ireland. And in November 2010, he opened Roux at The Landau at London’s prestigious luxury hotel, The Langham. Michel was a judge and presenter on the BBC’s popular prime time show, MasterChef: The Professionals, and presented all series of ‘Great British Food Revival.’ Michel fronted BBC2’s ‘Food and Drink,’ in 2014 and presented a documentary on Escoffier, whose revolutionary approach to fine cuisine has inspired Michel and many others. In the same year, Michel went on a journey to create the perfect chocolate for the Le Gavroche Kitchen. Filmed by the BBC, in Paris he discovered chocolatiers, Cacao Barry and their Or Noir Lab. In 2013, Michel launched his most recent cookbook, ‘The French Kitchen’. Focusing on traditional French home cooking, this is the fifth solo cookery book from Michel. He is involved with the Roux Experience courses at the ‘Cactus Kitchens’ cookery school, with the Executive producer of Saturday Kitchen, Amanda Ross. Cactus Kitchens offers people the opportunity to learn to cook within small intimate groups from some of the UK’s finest chefs, on site above the Saturday Kitchen studios. Michel has fronted a brand new four-part Channel 4 series, ‘The Diner’, exploring the hurdles faced by people with disabilities and mental health issues when finding employment. Michel also recently presented a new program on his first ever project with the Disney Channel. ‘First Class Chefs’ which launched in June 2015, is a show where kids aged 9-11 compete to showcase their restaurant skills.